Amongst The Trash
by llamaswithbowties
Summary: Kurt had expected high school to be horrible. He'd expected bullying and humiliation and loneliness. He hadn't, however, expected to meet his best friend and the love of his life in a dumpster.
1. Chapter 1

_**[A/N] So, I've had this idea milling around in my mind for a while, but I hadn't had the oppurtunity to actually write it up. Buuuuut, here we go! And I'm going on holiday soon, and the hotel I'm going to had wifi so I plan to sit around the pool and get some writing done. I hope you enjoy and please leave feedback as it's like my nectar (okay I'm going to work on a new simile). Thanks!**_

_***Warning for mentions of homophobic slurs and bullying throughout***_

* * *

Kurt knew he'd hate high school. His experience in middle school was bad enough; the looks and the names and the shoves which he'd received everyday were enough to make him hate school. But high school would be worse. High school kids were big and scary and could do much more damage than middle school kids. He'd heard the rumours of what happened to kids like him in high school: dumpster dives and swirlies and slushies.

So he wasn't surprised when he showed up on his first day of high school, clad in his best white skinny jeans and blue Marc Jacobs jacket, and was immediately met with a group of beefy seniors who proceeded to throw him into a dumpster. He hadn't even managed to get into the building.

Luckily for him, as it was the first day, the dumpster was empty so his white jeans managed to stay pretty clean and he sprayed himself from head to toe with body spray to avoid any bad odours. He also made note to start bringing a change of clothes, just in case.

He managed to find his locker and quickly threw his possessions into it, deciding to arrange and decorate it later, in order to get to home room before anyone else could do something to ruin his outfit. He took a seat, placing his books on the table and beginning to flick through them. He was soon interrupted however when he felt a presence next to him and a voice boomed out, "Oi, you."

Kurt looked up to see who was addressing him and his gaze was met with a tall, beefy guy who he had certainly not attended middle school with.

"You're in my seat," the guy grunted.

"It's the first day," Kurt squeaked. "No one has seats yet."

"Shut up, lady lips. You're in my seat. Move," the guy instructed.

Kurt, annoyed and humiliated, gathered his things and moved back a few rows. As he sat down he saw the guy high five another guy who muttered "Nice one, Dave." Kurt sighed as he sat down, fighting back tears that threatened to spill. He hadn't even attended class yet and he already wanted to go home.

It was so much easier for everyone else. Everyone else fit in and had friends already from middle school. Kurt hadn't had friends, not counting the few girls he'd occasionally sat with at lunch and discussed hair and nail advice. So why should high school be different?

By lunchtime, Kurt was beginning to think the day couldn't get any worse. He'd had no one to sit with at lunch and so he'd sat under the bleachers to avoid having to promote that he was lonely in the crowded cafeteria. But then things did get worse. He was walking towards History when he felt it; the sharp slap of cold, hard ice hit his face, seeping into his eyes and sliding down his cheeks to drip onto his neck and shoulders. He let out a startled sob, standing in shock for a moment before he realised he was being stared at. As soon as he got over the shock he ran in the direction of the nearest boys bathroom, his eyes blurred and stinging with tears and ice as he tried to find his way. He was glad to find the bathroom empty as he furiously scrubbed his face clean of the ice, thick tears spilling down his cheeks and sobs escaping his lips every few minutes.

He used the 'I got lost' excuse for History, but he could see a few of the guys exchanging knowing smirks at the back of the classroom at the sight of his stained jacket and shirt. He bit down on his lip hard to avoid more tears. He couldn't let them see him cry again.

Needless to say, he was relieved when the final bell of the day rang and he could escape the hellhole of a school. He ran straight out of the classroom, not even bothering to stop at his locker and collect the things he'd put in there. He ran across the parking lot, down the road and around the corner to where his father had agreed to pick him up from. He gathered himself, breathing slowly to try and regulate his heart beat, before climbing into the truck.

"Hey, bud," his father greeted him.

"Hey, dad," he replied, forcing a smile for his father's sake.

"Good first day?"

"Yeah," Kurt lied, avoiding his dad's eyes.

"Hey, what happened to your clothes?" Burt asked, eyeing Kurt's the stains on Kurt's favourite jacket.

"Oh, a guy tripped in the cafeteria and spilled his drink on me," said Kurt.

"I hope he apologised," Burt grunted.

"Profusely," Kurt confirmed, grinning at his father. Burt gave his son a nod before starting the car. Kurt ducked as much as he could when they drove past the school.

The next few weeks followed suit. Kurt began storing spare clothes in his locker along with hair and skin products. He also tried to keep his head down as much as possible, darting between classes to avoid others and spending his lunchtimes hidden under the bleachers with his homemade sandwiches. School became his worst nightmare. It was so much worse than middle school. He dreaded getting up in the morning, sometimes even considering pretending to be ill in order to stay at home, but eventually pushing through and forcing himself up. He still hadn't made friends. The boys didn't seem to like the way he acted and dressed and laughed at his high voice. The girls rolled his eyes at his fashion knowledge and intelligence or just ignored him altogether.

Every day he would get into his father's truck and his dad would ask him how his day was and every day he would lie and say it was good. Burt eventually stopped asking why Kurt had changed his clothes.

Kurt was slowly becoming more and more miserable. He tried to keep a happy face around his dad, but when he was alone he would sink into a pit of self hatred. Why did everyone hate him? Why didn't he get a chance to make friends and eat lunch in the cafeteria? Why did he have to be the one who was crying himself to sleep at the thought of the horrors of the approaching day.

After two months, he stopped caring about the physical torments, but the words never failed to pain him. It was usually the hiss of 'fag' when he was on his way to class by one of his Neanderthal classmates, but they always stung as much as if he'd actually been hit.

Kurt had known he was gay for a while. Well, everyone else had seemed to know for longer, but he hadn't understood exactly what the names meant when he'd first heard them. Then he had realised he liked boys instead of girls and he understood the names. He hadn't even been given the chance to come out before he was being tormented for who he was. His clothing and speaking had obviously been enough for the others to make assumptions.

Three months into his first year at high school, things started looking up a bit. It was a typical Wednesday, starting with a slushy from David Karofsky, followed by being locker checked by Noah Puckerman. It was the end of the day and a group of football players caught him outside of school. After a few shoves and a few slurs, he was tossed into the dumpster, landing on the uneven, putrid trash. Kurt started breathing as much as he could through his mouth to avoid the smell and waited. The voices however, didn't seem to be leaving. Kurt frowned, the smell beginning to make his eyes water in the dark.

Then the lid of the dumpster opened again and a body was flung on top of Kurt's. He groaned as the weight landed on top of him, crushing his legs and lower body.

"Oh God, I'm sorry," the person apologised, scrambling to get off of Kurt and causing him a lot more pain the in process. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't apologise," Kurt wheezed. "I doubt you chose to just hop in here."

"That's true," the guy sighed.

"Have they gone?" Kurt asked. They were both silent for a moment, listening for any sounds from outside but hearing non.

"I think so," the guy replied. "Let's get out of here."

Kurt, being well practiced, managed to get out of the dumpster with ease, but the other guy struggled for a while before falling over the edge. Kurt immediately went to help him. This gave him the chance to get a look at the guy.

The boy in front of him was short, which was saying something as Kurt was small himself. He was at least a few inches shorter than Kurt, but he was a bit thicker built. He had dark hair, which was short and curly, and a round face. His eyes were his most prominent feature, big, round and hazel with specks of gold and brown floating around in his irises. Kurt quickly glanced at his clothing, finding he was dressed in black slacks, a checked shirt and a sweater vest.

"Why did you get thrown in?" Kurt asked curiously.

"The guys don't seem to like the way I dress. Or that I actually pay some attention in class," the guy explained, frowning a little.

"Oh, I've not seen you around here before," Kurt continued.

"My first day," the guy said. "We were supposed to move here a few months ago but we had to stay for my fathers work so I started high school in Westerville."

"That would explained," Kurt nodded. He held out a hand. "Kurt Hummel."

The boy took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Blaine Anderson."

"I'm sorry your first day ended with being thrown into a dumpster," Kurt sighed.

"Well, I guess it could have been worse," Blaine replied. "It would have been nice if I'd have gotten to eat my lunch though and not been tripped and fell on it at lunch though."

"Ah, I've avoided the cafeteria. I've eaten under the bleachers since the first day," Kurt said.

"Wow, hadn't thought about that one. I might have to join you sometime," Blaine chuckled.

"Feel free," Kurt said. He took a moment to look down at his watch and when he noticed the time he panicked a little. "Oh God, I'm late, my dad is waiting for me. It was nice meeting you, Blaine, I'll see you around?"

"See you around!" Blaine called, as Kurt took off across the parking lot.

When he reached his dad's truck he clambered in, breathless from the run. "Sorry I'm late dad, I was talking to someone," Kurt quickly apologised.

"New friend?" Burt asked.

Kurt thought about it. "I'm not sure," he replied. They were silent as Burt started the car and began driving away.

"Why do you smell like you fell in a garbage can?" asked Kurt's dad.

"Oh, er, I did on my way through school. That's how I got talking to that guy, he helped me out," Kurt said. He smiled, realising that it was only half a lie. He thought of Blaine. Could Blaine be his first friend at school? At that thought, for the first time in months, Kurt had a genuine smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

_**[A/N] Okay, so please don't hurt me. I know I was all like, oh yeah totes gonna write all day on holiday, but then when I got there it was too hot to even think so all I did for my whole holiday was literally swim in the pool and read fluffy fanfiction. Yes, I'm terrible. Anyway, so I got back last week and after I'd settled back in I was like, yeah this is great I can write loads and loads now, and then I came to writing and just nothing. I've had the worst writers block ever like I just couldn't write so today I was like okay it's gone on long enough and forced myself to sit here and write a new chapter and I know it's not very long and it's probably not very good, but I figured it's better than nothing! You all have permission to murder me. Thank you!**_

* * *

Kurt didn't speak to Blaine again until Monday. It turned out they were in the same maths class, but Blaine sat at the front and had hurried off as soon as the bell rang, so Kurt didn't get to speak to him.

On Monday, as Kurt was walking into school, he found himself once again covered in sticky, coloured ice and cursing wearing his cream knee-length sweater. He expertly wiped the slush from his eyes and made his way to the bathroom, ignoring the jeers and shouts that followed him.

When he opened the bathroom door, he was surprised to see Blaine. Hunched over the sink with his eyes scrunched shut and scrubbing red ice off of his face. When he heard the door shut behind Kurt, he froze and turned, sighing with relief when he saw who it was.

"Hey, Kurt," Blaine greeted. "I see they got you too."

"Yep, and I'm kicking myself for wearing such a light colour. The blue never comes out," Kurt replied.

"It's too bad. That's a nice sweater as well," Blaine said, glancing down at Kurt's attire.

"Thanks. And I'm glad there's someone at this school who knows a nice sweater when they see one," Kurt chuckled as he joined Blaine at the sink and began carefully removing the slush from his hair. They continued to wash in silence, until Blaine broke it by stating "I noticed you're in my maths class."

"Sure am," Kurt replied with a faint smile.

"I don't suppose you're any good at maths are you? It's just that at my old school we were doing a completely different topic and I don't understand any of the stuff we were doing the other day."

"I can catch you up if you like," Kurt offered, finishing rinsing his hair and beginning to style it.

"That would be great. I warn you I'm a bit slow, though. It could take a while!" Blaine said.

"I'm patient. How about we start at lunch?" Kurt suggested.

"Awesome! Meet you under the bleachers?" Blaine asked. Kurt nodded an affirmative before running some product through his hair and giving himself a satisfied smile.

"Right, I'm gonna change my sweater and then head to French. Madame Cooke is nice and all but she's cruel when she's mad!" Kurt explained.

"I'd best not keep you then. I'll see you at lunch?" Blaine said.

"See you at lunch," Kurt confirmed.

After that, Kurt had something to actually look forward to at school. He'd not yet had lunch with anyone, even though it was only for tutoring. Because, if he were being honest with himself, he didn't know who would hang out with him just because they wanted to be his friend. When lunch time came around, Kurt sat under the bleachers and waited. He tapped his fingers on the blanket which he sat on and he glanced between the books spread before him as the minutes ticked by. Kurt started thinking maybe Blaine had changed his mind or was just kidding around with Kurt. He was just about to put his maths books away when Blaine jogged around the corner, breathing heavily.

"Sorry I'm - late my biology teacher - kept me for the time I - was late this - morning," Blaine panted.

"It's fine," Kurt said. "Wanna get started?"

They sat and Kurt explained the simpler equations for the rest of lunch, whilst mindlessly nibbling on the food they'd brought. As they worked, they had a laugh with each other. Blaine had a repertoire of maths puns which made Kurt snicker and lose focus on the actual maths. When the bell rang and Kurt and Blaine headed off to go to their different classes, which brought Kurt back into reality. He sat alone through science, ignoring the glares that a few of the jocks had started sending him. He made it through the rest of the day with thoughts of Blaine and tutoring him and the jokes they'd shared of the equations.

When Kurt got into his dad's car that day and his dad once again asked him how his day had been, he replied "Good." For once it wasn't a lie.

* * *

Things seemed to get better from then on. Sure, Kurt was still being shoved into lockers, thrown into dumpsters and called names, but at least he had Blaine to look forward to. At lunch times, they would sit under the bleachers and 'study'. However, studying ended up being more talking and laughing than actual work. Both Kurt and Blaine came out of their shells a little and soon they got to know each other well. Well enough, that they considered each other best friends.

After a month of meeting every lunch time, Blaine went to Kurt's house for dinner. Burt was enthusiastically happy about Kurt's new friend, talking the whole car ride home and offering to get take out, which Kurt was going to complain about until he remembered the quality of his father's cooking. Kurt gave Blaine the 'grand tour' of the house, ending with his own bedroom.

"Wow, it's so... you," Blaine said.

"So me? I only hope that's a compliment," Kurt chuckled.

"It sure is. I've seen how you dress; your clothes are like something straight out of Vogue. And your room is like something from those interior design magazines my mom reads," Blaine explained.

"Why, thank you," Kurt said, a slight blush on his cheeks from the compliments. He certainly wasn't used to compliments. "Make yourself at home. I'll find us some movies."

Blaine took a seat on Kurt's couch as Kurt went to find his box of DVDs. As soon as he found it, he panicked, realising the contents of the box. It was mostly musicals and rom-coms; nothing boyish like he was sure Blaine would prefer. He took the box to Blaine with a sigh and said, "I can find something of my dad's if you don't like any of these. I have a very unusual taste."

Blaine rummaged through the box and held up a DVD with a grin. "I love this movie."

"Hairspray?" Kurt asked. "Really?"

"Erm, yeah, my mom took me to see the stage play a few years back and it was amazing. Then we went to see the movie when it came out last year. It's one of my guilty pleasures, I guess," Blaine mumbled, blushing slightly.

"I love it too," Kurt assured him. Blaine looked up from under his lashes and smiled at him.

The next hour and a half was a new experience for Kurt. He hadn't watched a movie with any one but his dad for years, and even then his dad was sat in his armchair and he was sat on the sofa as they watched the movie in silence. Watching a movie with Blaine was different. They sat together, quite close together, and through the movie they'd make comments to one another about the scene or an actress and sing along to the songs, Blaine often using dramatic hand movements to emphasise the words. And wow, Blaine could sing! Watching a movie with Blaine was definitely something he enjoyed.

After the movie they had dinner with Burt. It was slightly awkward to begin with, but then Burt asked Blaine if he liked football and they hit it off. Kurt smiled as he watched his father and his new friend interact. He was suddenly very grateful he was thrown into the dumpster that day.

When it was time for Blaine to go home, Kurt was a little disappointed. He'd enjoyed having Blaine over more than anything. After dinner they'd gone back to Kurt's room and talked. He'd found out that Blaine really liked musicals and had seen a couple on Broadway, and that Blaine loved singing and performing. They gushed about music and actors and plays for hours, until Blaine's mother came to pick him up.

"I've had a good time, Kurt," Blaine said with a grin.

"Me too. We'll have to do this again," Kurt replied.

"Yeah. Maybe next time you can come to mine. I can show you my guitar!" Blaine suggested.

"That sounds great," said Kurt.

"I'll see you tomorrow at lunch?" asked Blaine.

"Under the bleachers as usual," confirmed Kurt.

And then Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and brought him in for a hug, squeezing gently at his waist. It took a moment for Kurt to respond and wrap his arms around Blaine's neck. It felt weird being hugged like this. His father wasn't the most affectionate person and so he'd rarely gotten such hugs since his mother had died. He reveled in the warmth and safety of it before Blaine pulled away.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Blaine said.

"Tomorrow," Kurt repeated, as he watched his best friend leave.


	3. Chapter 3

_**[A/N] Wow this took a while and I honestly don't know why I wrote this chapter the way I did, but I wanted to start introducing the subject of sexuality and I wrote this and now I'm just going to post it even though I'm not 100% sure on it. If you think it sucks, I'll re-write! Anyway, feedback is appreciated and any reviews will receive virtual cookies. (Also, sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes, I haven't been able to check it, but if you notice any big ones please point them out to me! Thanks.)**_

* * *

"Kurt, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

It had been a week since Blaine had had dinner at Kurt's house and they'd fell into a sort of routine. Every day they'd meet up at lunch and then after school they'd go to Kurt's house and do their homework together. After that they'd talk or watch movies and then they'd have dinner with Kurt's father and then Blaine would go home. Kurt was beginning to like this routine. The time he spent with Blaine was the best part of his day.

But now they were in the middle of their homework and Blaine was looking up from his Spanish textbook with questioning eyes.

"Blaine, you're my only _friend_," Kurt stated.

"So, no?"

"No." They continued working in silence, Kurt blushing a little at Blaine's question. It wasn't long before Blaine spoke up again.

"Do you like any of the girls at school?" he asked.

Kurt refused to make eye contact with Blaine. He couldn't tell Blaine that no, he actually wasn't attracted to any girls, but he thought some of the boys were cute.

"No," Kurt said, then winced a little at how sharp he'd said it. "Why do you ask, anyway?"

"I'm just curious," said Blaine. "You're my best friend, right? Best friends talk about this sort of thing."

"Oh, well no I don't. Do you like a some one?"

"No, I - erm - no, I don't," Blaine stammered.

"You know if you wanted to talk to me about that kind of thing then you could," Kurt assured him.

"Thanks," Blaine said.

Kurt slammed his biology textbook shut and announced, "Okay, I think I've done enough homework for today. Did you want to watch a movie now?" Blaine nodded and followed Kurt's example, before settling back onto Kurt's couch and waiting for Kurt to put a movie in. Today it was Gypsy, one of Kurt's favourites that he'd insisted Blaine watch. Blaine had absolutely loved it the first time round so Kurt hoped he'd like it just as much the second.

They were 10 minutes into the movie when Blaine spoke up again.

"Why do you get bullied, Kurt?"

"What's with all the questions today?" Kurt asked, glancing at his friend for a second, before returning his eyes to the movie. Blaine looked down to his lap where his fingers were tangled together.

"I guess I just want to know more about you," he said.

"You know why I get bullied. Because of the way I dress and the way I talk and the things I like."

"I don't see anything wrong with those," Blaine said.

"Blaine, I wear clothes that girls would wear. I talk like a girl. And I like things that girls like," Kurt stated.

"And what's wrong with that? Why should you get bullied because of that?"

"Because it's really... it's just... it's really gay I guess," Kurt mumbled, refusing to make eye contact with his best friend. "Can we not talk about this?"

Blaine nodded, and they both continued watching the movie, but Kurt couldn't concentrate. He'd only just managed to get himself a best friend, he couldn't go and ruin it by telling him the truth. Telling him that he was gay. No, Kurt would keep that to himself for as long as possible.

The subject was dropped until a week later. It was before school on a Thursday and Kurt had just been thrown into a dumpster. He was about to get out when the lid opened and another body fell in on top of him. The situation was all too familiar.

"There, homos, have fun sucking each other's dicks," came a deep voice, followed by a boom of laughter. Kurt frowned at the voice; Karofsky.

"You okay?" came a whisper from above him. Kurt's frown disappeared when he recognised who had landed on top of him. Again, it was Blaine.

"Yeah, I'm okay, thanks. Now let's get out of here, the smell makes me want to vomit," Kurt suggested, ending his sentence with a gag for effect.

Together, they climbed out of the dumpster, both being much better at the skill than they were the first time this had happened. Kurt glanced over at Blaine, about to suggest they go and change before class started, but was met with Blaine's furious frown.

"Woah, Blaine, are you alright? Did you get hurt?" Kurt quickly quizzed.

"I'm fine. I'm just sick and tired of them treating us like this. We have done nothing except be ourselves," Blaine growled.

"Blaine, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I don't think they exactly like who we are when we're ourselves," Kurt explained.

"But that's not fair. They don't know us. How can they judge us and not like who they are when they don't even know who we are?" Blaine questioned, angrily.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but life isn't fair. Not for guys like us anyway. Not for guys like me," Kurt said.

"Guys like us? What's wrong with us? We're normal, aren't we? So we like different things. So we dress different. How does that make us not normal?" Blaine argued.

"Because we're not, okay? You're just going to have to accept that in this city, in this school, we are bottom of the food chain. We're garbage, we're nobodies. The sooner you learn to accept that, the easier it's going to be," Kurt yelled. Blaine seemed a little taken aback by Kurt's outburst, but he couldn't help but still be angry. "Look, Blaine, all my life this is how I've been treated. I'm used to it by now. I'm not going to let it get to me."

"But Kurt, why not? Shouldn't you be angry? Don't you want to fight back?" Blaine asked.

"No, because that would just make it worse. Look, I'm going to change. I'll see you at lunch," Kurt said, and with that he walked off in the direction of the bathroom, clutching his bag tightly. Blaine sighed as he watched him walk away, his fists still curled into balls, before he groaned and gave the dumpster a kick to release his anger. Clenched his fists once more before straightening out his fingers and taking a deep breath. Then he headed off in the direction that Kurt had.

* * *

They didn't see each other again until lunch time, where Kurt was sat waiting patiently, as always, under the bleachers. Blaine approached, his head ducked and his eyes wide.

"Hey, Kurt," he mumbled.

"Oh, Blaine. I've been waiting for you, where have you been?" Kurt asked.

"Wait, you're not mad at me?" Blaine questioned.

"Of course not. I'm sorry that I yelled earlier but I can understand why you were angry. I guess I just wanted to forget about it and move on," Kurt explained.

"No, that's fine. Erm, Kurt, can I ask you something?" Blaine queried, taking a seat on the blanket Kurt had laid out.

"You know you can," Kurt replied, a smile on his face.

"Does it ever get to you when the bullies call you gay?" Blaine asked. Kurt's smile immediately dropped.

Kurt looked at the ground. "I guess so. But no more than when they call me other names," he muttered. He reached for his bag and changed the subject. "I have chicken sandwiches today, did you want some?"

"Why do you never want to talk about this?" asked Blaine.

"Because, Blaine, the best time of the day is here and at home with you, where I don't have to think about them calling me those things," Kurt snapped. "Do you know how hard it was before I met you? I'd get pushed around and teased at school and then go home and only be able to think of all the bad things that had happened that day? I'd have to fake a smile and tell my dad how my day had been wonderful even though it hadn't. I'd stay up until the early hours of the morning, terrified to go to sleep because I knew what the next day would bring. But then you came and you gave me something to look forward to and something to actually tell my dad about and I don't want that to be tainted by the stupid meat heads who can't accept who I am. Okay?" Kurt wiped furiously at the damp patches beneath his eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to snap. Just pent up emotion, I guess."

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't know," Blaine replied. "I can drop the subject."

"If you really want to talk, we'll talk. Is something bothering you? You keep bringing this sort of thing up," Kurt said.

"I've just had a lot on my mind lately, I guess," Blaine said.

"Well, you always have me to talk to, you know that," Kurt assured him, placing a hand on his best friend's knee.

Blaine looked up and smiled at Kurt. "I know."


	4. Chapter 4

_**[A/N] So I appear to be getting pretty positive feedback for this story and in all honesty, this isn't really planned. I have ideas for it, but with this story I seem to be just going with the flow. I hope you're liking this story and remember that reviews are the air which I use to respire, and without those how do I create carbon dioxide for plants? Think about it! ;) Enjoy!**_

* * *

The subject of sexuality was dropped until February. Kurt was glad to not have to think about the subject. He and Blaine were extremely close now; they were practically joined at the hip. There was no way he was losing Blaine. It would be too hard to go back to 'the norm' now that he'd experienced what having a best friend would be like.

Then came February. It was a good half way through their freshman year and so far they'd managed to avoid any major disasters. Sure, they were both thrown into dumpsters, shoved into lockers and doused with slushies every day, but there was nothing that an ice pack and some strong stain remover couldn't fix.

But February meant Valentine's Day, and Valentine's Day meant the freshman Valentine's dance was approaching and every one was going. Kurt wasn't sure what would be more humiliating, showing up without a date or not showing up at all. But those were his only two options.

"Have you got a date to the dance?" Kurt asked Blaine a couple of weeks before Valentine's Day. Blaine just shook his head, his eyes not moving from his homework. "Are you going to ask anyone?"

"I don't think anyone would really want to go with me," Blaine muttered.

"Why not?" questioned Kurt.

"I thought we'd been over this," Blaine said, finally looking up. "I'm bottom of the social heap. I dress like a freak and I like musicals and reading. Girls don't dig that."

"Well, I heard Stacy Laurence from the AV club saying you were cute in biology this morning," Kurt informed him.

Blaine blinked at him before asking, "Really?"

"Yeah, she sits in front of me and she only quietened down when her friend realised I'm friends with you and could hear them," Kurt explained. "You should ask her."

"Who are you going to ask?" Blaine queried.

"I'm not sure I'm even going," confessed Kurt. "I've thought about it and I think showing up alone might be worse than not showing up at all."

"I'm sure someone would go with you," Blaine insisted. "You're good looking, smart, fashionable-" Blaine cut himself off with an embarrassed cough and his eyes settled on his homework again. "I'm sure you'd be able to find someone."

"Well, I'd rather not ask anyone and not have to face the humiliation of rejection," Kurt replied. "Anyway, there's no one I really want to ask."

"Why don't we go together?" Blaine suggested.

Kurt immediately froze, his heart beating twice as fast. If he were being honest with himself, he'd been dreaming of Blaine asking him that since he'd heard about the stupid school dance. He'd thought about going with Blaine; wearing matching boutonnieres and slow dancing. But he knew that wasn't going to happen. No, it couldn't happen. Because Blaine was straight and they would both be murdered if they dared show up together.

"What?" Kurt snapped, his voice sounding a little harsher than expected.

"Why don't we go together? Like as friends. Friends can go together, right?" Blaine clarified.

"Yeah, groups of friends. Or a boy and a girl friend. Not two guys together. Do you know what they'd do if we went together? They would kill us. They would do far worse than dumpster tosses! And not only that, but think of the rumours that would develop. That we're boyfriends or something like that." Kurt's heart sped up even more at the word boyfriends, something he was sure he would never have the chance to actually have.

"Who cares?" Blaine sighed. "What are they going to do? They already make our lives a misery and they don't know who we are. So if they insist on being so cruel why can't we have a little fun? Who cares about rumours? They already call us every name under the sun so why should we worry about them adding a few more?"

"It would be easier if you went with Stacy," Kurt mumbled.

"But I don't know Stacy. How am I meant to have a good time with someone I don't even know? If it makes you uncomfortable, we don't have to do this, but I just thought it would be nice to go with a friend," Blaine argued.

"Okay," sighed Kurt.

"Okay?" questioned Blaine.

"We can go together. As friends. If that's not going to creep you out," Kurt clarified.

"It's not going to creep me out," Blaine insisted. "If I can't go to a dance with my best friend, then who can I go with?"

"If you were sane you'd go with anyone else. Now enough about this dance. We're watching RENT tonight," Kurt declared.

* * *

After that time seemed to go faster and before they knew it, it was the night of the dance. Kurt got ready in his tailored suit, styled his hair in a complicated quiff and moisturised one last time before running down the stairs and into the living room.

"You ready?" Burt asked.

"As ready as I can be," Kurt said with a smile. The made their way out to the car and Kurt climbed into the back seat, meaning he'd be able to sit next to Blaine.

"So did you two decide against taking dates then?" Burt questioned.

"There's no one we really wanted to ask," Kurt lied. Well, it wasn't really a lie; he hadn't wanted to ask any of the girls.

"Well, it's nice that you're still going and that you have a friend to go with," Burt said, shooting his son a smile through the rear view mirror. The rest of the ride was pretty silent, apart from the greetings when they picked up Blaine and Burt asking if he'd be over the next Tuesday night so that they could watch the football together.

When they arrived, the dance was already in full swing and they could hear music blaring from the gym. "I'll be here to pick you up at 9, but if you want to come home earlier, just give me a call," Burt reminded them.

"Got it, dad," Kurt called before climbing out of the car and meeting Blaine on the other side. "Ready?"

"Ready," Blaine confirmed and they walked into the dance together.

* * *

The dance wasn't that bad. No one really noticed them among the crowd of students. They spent the first half an hour sat down, chatting over a plate of food and glasses of punch. It was difficult to hear one another, but neither wanted to draw attention to themselves. After that, they decided that they were going to dance. After all, it was a dance, and what point would there be in going if they didn't actually dance.

So Kurt dragged Blaine out of his seat and onto the dance floor and they danced together. Not _together _but side by side, and it was fun. They both enjoyed themselves. The next hour followed as such, with breaks for drinks when a song they didn't like came on. But then the music slowed and the DJ suggested everyone grab their 'special someone' for a slow dance. Blaine and Kurt looked at one another with wide eyes before shuffling off of the dance floor.

"Did you want to go now?" asked Blaine. "I mean, this is probably all they're going to do for the rest of the night."

"Sure," Kurt said, smiling at his best friend. They made their way out of the gym and to the parking lot where Kurt rang his dad to ask him to get them early. While they waited, they say on the curb, chatting.

Neither of them noticed a group of jocks exit the gym, nudging one another as they pointed in the direction of the two boys. Neither of them noticed the quickly formulated plan between the guys. Neither of them noticed as the boys came up from behind. Not until it was too late.

They both felt their air become restricted as they were yanked up by the collars of their shirts and pulled back against the wall of the gym. They both coughed as they were released and shoved back roughly.

"Well, what do we have here, boys?" one of the jocks snarled. "Looks like a couple of fairies running away from the dance."

"Couldn't you keep your gay at home?" another asked.

"Yeah, no one wants to see you fags feeling each other up," another added.

"We only came as friends," Blaine muttered, his eyes not leaving the pavement in front of him.

"I've had enough of you fags shoving your disgusting lives in our faces. I think we should teach 'em a lesson, don't you guys?" There were a few harsh laughs from around them, and some nods of agreement, before the group closed in on them completely.

With that, Kurt closed his eyes and waited for the pain to begin.


	5. Chapter 5

_**[A/N] Sorry once again for the wait. I have just started back at college so I've been a bit busy, but I'm getting used to my new timetable now so hopefully these will be more regular. Once again I hope you like this and reviews are encouragement for me to do my homework faster so that I can write more fanfiction ;) Enjoy!**_

* * *

Being punched wasn't something new to Kurt. He'd been beaten up a lot in middle school and a couple of times since he started high school. None of the beatings were too bad. A few punches and kicks until he was groaning and then they'd leave him alone. He only came out with a few bruises and once a small cut on his stomach from where one of the guys had been wearing a ring. But it wasn't being punched that was causing Kurt pain. It was the sound of whimpers and cries from his best friend.

Kurt had stopped listening to the hissed insults of his attackers and was instead focusing on the sound of Blaine's voice, repeating his name in a panicked cry. He dreaded the thought of Blaine being in as much pain as he was in.

"Are you listening to me, fairy boy?" the boy who had been holding him asked, his teeth gritted together. Kurt met his eyes but refused to reply. This apparently only angered him more. "We're trying to teach you a lesson here." Kurt still refused to reply, provoking the guy holding him to command his friend to continue punching him.

Kurt was beginning to feel a little dizzy. His head was rhythmically forced against the wall and tugged away again and he began to feel warm trickles on the back of his neck from where his head was being scratched. He closed his eyes, attempting to ignore the throbbing in his head, stomach and ribs, the burn in his shoulders as he was held down so forcefully. The world was spinning around him and after hearing one last cry of his name from Blaine, he let the darkness take over him as he slumped against the wall, falling into unconsciousness.

* * *

"KURT!" Blaine yelled, attempting to break free of the grasp of their attackers. "Let me go! Let me go!"

The hold on his shoulders just got tighter and he was forced to watch as his best friend's body went limp. "Stay still," one of the boys hissed, giving Blaine a punch to the stomach. Blaine groaned, but continued to struggle. He needed to get to Kurt, make sure he was okay. He couldn't let his best friend he hurt any longer.

"HEY!" He heard a yell from behind the boys and was relieved, when they parted, to see Burt Hummel, running over from where his truck was parked. The boys immediately dropped the both of them, leaving Kurt to fall to the floor and Blaine to run over to him.

"Kurt? Kurt, can you hear me?" Blaine questioned, panicking as he attempted to prop Kurt up. He could feel his chest moving, assuring him that the boy was still alive, but his unconsciousness was scaring Blaine.

"Kurt? Blaine? What the hell happened?" Burt demanded, kneeling down next to Blaine to tend to his son.

"I don't know, we were just waiting for you and they attacked us," Blaine said, his eyes prickling with tears and he held onto Kurt tightly.

"We should probably get Kurt to the hospital," Burt advised. "Go and open the car door and I'll carry him in."

Blaine did as he was told and helped Burt to ease Kurt into the back seat and buckle his seat belt, before jumping into the front and driving in the direction of the hospital.

"Are you okay, Blaine? Do you need to be checked out?" Burt asked, his eyes set on the road.

"No, sir, I think I'm fine. They only punched me a few times in my stomach, and I'm sure it's just bruised. They hurt Kurt a lot more," Blaine recalled.

They rest of the ride was silent. Blaine trying to hold back his tears and be strong for Kurt, Burt concentrating on not crashing the car at the speed he was driving at. They were at Lima Memorial in 10 minutes and both of them immediately rushed out of the car to get Kurt into the hospital. As soon as Blaine had described the situation and Kurt had been whisked away to be checked on, Blaine broke. He sobbed into the sleeve of his jacket, letting the guilt and pain that was building up inside free. Burt was next to him immediately, wrapping a comforting arm around the boy and attempting to calm him down.

"Blaine, shh, what's wrong?" Burt asked, feeling the boy shake as a fresh wave of sobs overcame him.

"I just - I just can't help - but feel like - this is all - m-my fault," Blaine stammered, his voice thick with tears and muffled by his jacket.

"This isn't your fault, Blaine," Burt assured him. "This is neither of your faults."

"Yes, it is - it's all my fault if I - hadn't convinced Kurt - to go to the stupid - dance he would be - fine," he stuttered, taking deep breaths.

"No, it's not your fault. This shouldn't have happened. You guys shouldn't have been beaten up for no reason. This is the fault of those idiots at school. I don't blame you, Kurt won't blame you and you shouldn't blame yourself. Did you have a good time before this happened?" Burt asked.

"Yeah," Blaine admitted. "It was awesome."

"And it should have stayed that way, but apparently there are some stupid people in the world who like to make people's lives a misery. Don't let them get to you, okay?"

Blaine sniffed, wiping at his eyes furiously with his sleeve. "Thanks, Burt," he whispered. "You know, Kurt is really lucky to have a dad like you." Blaine gave him a sad smile, which made Burt think there were more behind those words, but he decided not to question it and simply gave Blaine's shoulders a comforting squeeze.

"And he's lucky to have a friend like you."

* * *

It wasn't long after that the nurse came out, requesting Kurt's dad. Burt insisted that Blaine come too, knowing that he'd want to see Kurt and to be reassured that he was fine.

"Now, we've looked over his injuries and things don't look too bad. A bit of bruising on his stomach, a few bruised ribs causing swelling, but we don't think any of them are broken. We're going to give him medication for that, but if they continue to hurt and are causing him a lot of pain then you should come back and we'll check them again. His head was scratched up a lot at the back but the cuts weren't deep and have pretty much all heeled on their own. He passed out due to lack of oxygen to the brain, which is normal when one is scared as their heart and breathing speed up. So other than some medication for his pain and some cream for his bruises, he won't need anything else. Do you have any questions?" the nurse recited, a polite smile etched on her face.

"Can we see him?" Blaine piped up, impatiently.

"Of course," the nurse replied. "He's awake in room 321. If you want to go ahead and I can go and get you the medication he'll need." Blaine nodded, not even thinking to thank the nurse as he ran down the corridor in the direction of Kurt's room. As soon as he got there he pushed open the door and was greeted by the sight of Kurt, bruised and tired, lying back against a pillow and running his fingers over the rough material of the hospital mattress. When the door was opened, Kurt looked up and when he saw Blaine a grin immediately spread across his face.

"Blaine!" he called and Blaine rushed over to wrap his arms around him. Kurt winced, not having prepared himself for the embrace, and Blaine immediately pulled away.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I'm sorry for everything, I would understand if you hated me and never wanted to speak to me again, I'm such a terrible friend."

"What are you talking about?" asked Kurt. "I could never hate you!"

"You couldn't?" Blaine queried, his voice a little higher than normal.

"Of course not, you're my best friend. And I know what you're thinking, but I 100% do not blame you for me being here. This is not your fault, okay?" Kurt demanded.

"It's like you read my mind," Blaine chuckled, feeling tears once again welling in his eyes. "I just don't like seeing you hurt."

"Well you should probably stop hanging around with me. It does sting a little being shoved into lockers and tossed into dumpsters multiple times every day," Kurt joked, attempting to stay light-hearted, but his smile dropped when he looked up to the door to see his father standing in the doorway. Burt stared at him for a few seconds, before ducking his head to stare at his shoes. When he raised his eyes back up, Kurt could see the hurt in them.

"We'll talk about that tomorrow," he said. "For now, let's get you home." Kurt nodded, unsure of what to say. "Blaine, you staying the night?"

"If it's okay with you and Kurt then I would love to," Blaine replied. Both Hummels nodded - Kurt rather enthusiastically - making Blaine grin. "I'll go and ring my parents." Blaine gave Kurt one last smile before shuffling out of the room. The nurse came in to give them the medication and explain what to do with the cream and how often he should take the pills and all the other information he needed to know. Kurt listened intently, knowing Burt would forget this all by the time they got home.

The ride home was silent. Burt didn't question Kurt further on what he'd heard, Blaine didn't question Kurt on his injuries and Kurt was too tired to speak. Instead they all stayed quiet and went straight to bed as soon as they got back to the Hummel home. Kurt couldn't help but dread the following day, knowing he'd have to speak to his dad, but at that point, he was too tired to worry. Instead, as soon as he was dressed in his pyjamas and lying down, he let his eyes shut and his mind wonder as he fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_**[A/N] It's a bit short, but I thought it needed updating, so here we go. Enjoy!**_

* * *

When Kurt woke up he felt warm and comfortable. He blinked his eyes open, confused at his extreme comfort, and went to sit up, but something was weighing him down. He gently turned his head to the side to find a mop of curly hair buried into his back and an arm wrapped around his waist. Blaine must have moved into his bed during the night and, as Kurt knew, he was a cuddler. Kurt chuckled as he wriggled out of Blaine's grip.

Blaine murmured and grabbed after him in his sleep and so he took his pillow and lay it out in Blaine's arms. Blaine automatically hugged onto it and nuzzled his face into it. Kurt couldn't help but smile at his best friend.

Kurt tiptoed up the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible in order to not wake anyone. Once he reached the top, he made his way into the kitchen to put the coffee machine on, but paused at the door when he noticed his father was already awake and sat up at the breakfast bar. Before he could even try and tiptoe back downstairs, Burt looked up from his paper and smiled at his son.

"Kurt," he greeted. "I put the coffee machine on already. Grab yourself a cup and come and sit with your old man."

Kurt nodded shyly and padded across the kitchen to pour his coffee. Once he'd got his mug of coffee, he sat down beside his father at the breakfast bar, who closed his newspaper and slid it to one side. Kurt took a sip of his drink, staring straight ahead at the counter.

"So, we need to talk, huh?" Burt said. Kurt didn't look up from the counter; he just nodded and hummed in agreement. "What's going on Kurt? What you said yesterday in the hospital..." He trailed off, leaving the floor open for Kurt to pipe up.

"It's really not anything to worry about," Kurt said.

"Kurt," Burt said sternly. "Look, I know we've never really talked much. I know that growing up it was always your mom who dealt with problems like school and friends. I know you'd rather talk to her than me about this, but she's not here now. Please, Kurt, it's killing me that you won't talk to me about this. I'm your dad, you know you can tell me anything."

"It's worse than middle school," Kurt piped up, his head raising to finally look at his father. Burt stayed silent, prompting Kurt to elaborate. "Kids were mean in middle school. They used to push me around and call me names. Now that's a good day. In high school, they prefer to hurt my physically. Throw me into dumpsters, push me into lockers, throw slushies at me. Blaine receives something similar, but it's not as bad for him."

"Why not?" asked Burt.

"Because he's not like me. He's a little short, yeah, and he dresses nicely which is apparently a sin, but I'm much more..." Kurt paused. He shook his head before speaking again. "He's just different."

"What have you done wrong? Why do they treat you like that, Kurt?" Burt questioned.

"I can't..." Kurt stopped, sniffing furiously as tears sprang to his eyes. "I can't say."

"Kurt, you can tell me anything," Burt assured him.

"You'll hate me," Kurt whispered.

"I will never hate you, Kurt. You could tell me that you'd murdered someone and I couldn't hate you. Heck, you could be a mass murderer and I still couldn't hate you. You're my son, I love you no matter what." Burt raised his hand and gave Kurt's shoulder a tight squeeze.

"I-I.." Kurt couldn't stop the tears falling down his face. He wiped at them furiously, trying to stay strong, but he couldn't help a sob escape from his throat.

"Kurt, please tell me," Burt begged.

Kurt took a deep breath, calming his tears. "I-I'm gay," he whispered, his voice shaking and his body going rigid. He couldn't meet his father's eye; he just stared down at the counter. Burt was silent and Kurt immediately regretted his admission, thinking that his father's silence was because he was disappointed or even disgusted. He jumped a little when his dad squeezed his shoulder again.

"Kurt, look at me," Burt instructed.

Kurt wiped his tears and peered up at his father. Instead of seeing disappointment, he saw hurt. "Kurt, you're my son. You really think I'd hate you for something like this? You're my boy, you're my world. My job is to love you for who you are, no matter who you are. This changes nothing, okay? I'm still your dad and I still love you."

Kurt let out a sob as he dived into his father's arms, burying his face into the crook of his dad's neck. He cried as Burt held him, whispering reassuring words to him as the sobs slowly began to calm down.

"Does Blaine know?" Burt asked. Kurt shook his head.

"No, and I don't want him to find out. I can't lose him," he sobbed.

"I don't think you would lose him, Kurt. Blaine is a good guy. I don't think he'd judge you like that Kurt,"Burt assured him.

"Please don't make me tell him dad. No one can know, please. They only assume as much at school, but if it was official, life would be hell. I don't think I could deal with it. Please, dad," Kurt begged, hugging his father tightly.

"Okay," Burt said. "I won't make you do anything. But I think it would help a lot if you had someone other than me to talk to. Not that I don't want you to talk to me, but you're not always gonna want to come to me and I don't want you to feel alone Kurt."

"I'm fine," Kurt insisted. "I'm fine."

"If you insist. Look, I'm gonna start cooking breakfast because I'm sure Blaine will be up soon, but try and think about what I said. You don't have to be alone in this, Kurt," Burt reminded him. He gave his son another tight squeeze.

"Thanks, dad. I love you," Kurt said.

"I love you too, kid," Burt replied, before letting go of his son to start making breakfast. Kurt sat still, sipping coffee and thinking about the conversation that had just occurred. He couldn't help but wonder if perhaps his dad was right.

* * *

Blaine woke up not long after and joined the Hummels in the kitchen for breakfast. He could tell that something had happened, but he didn't like to pry. He assumed that Kurt and Burt had had a conversation they wished to keep private.

"Okay, boys, tomorrow we need to go into your school and talk to the principal. And Blaine, do you want me to talk to your parents?" Burt asked.

"No," Blaine answered sharply. "I mean, it's okay, I'll talk to them."

"Dad, you can't talk to the principal," Kurt interrupted.

"Yes, I can," Burt insisted. "I'm not going to let you two suffer at school. Those bastards deserve to be punished."

"It will just make it worse," Kurt insisted.

"No Kurt, we're going to talk to your principal tomorrow and that's that!" Burt stated.

Kurt knew that there was no use arguing with his father anymore. He just hoped that talking to the principal wouldn't make things worse and that Blaine wouldn't find out his secret.


End file.
